Rangel race gets murkier

By Charles Mahtesian

06/28/12 06:15 PM EDT

Nearly two full days have passed since Rep. Charlie Rangel’s Democratic primary and the outcome is only getting cloudier.

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, a staunch ally of Rangel’s top primary challenger, state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, held a press conference Thursday afternoon that raised additional questions about the vote count and called for federal involvement in the 13th District race.

Rodriguez told reporters, "I believe we have to call for a federal monitor of the Board of Elections. It's unacceptable that 48 hours after this election has taken place, we don't have an outcome. The reality is that the media has not done their homework and the number is completely different than what was reported. I don't know how to explain it."

Rodriguez said a disturbing number of affidavit ballots were cast in his home district, the 72nd, where Espaillat did especially well against Rangel. "I'm here because most of those votes are from my district and they are Adriano Espaillat's votes," he said. "We respect the Board of Elections and we are not jumping to any conclusions. We are just here because we care about the Democratic process. We have the best candidate in Adriano Espaillat and he will be out candidate at the end of this process."

Griped Mark Levine, AD 71 Democratic district leader, “It's been two days since the vote and the election has been shrouded in secrecy."

The Board of Elections hasn’t helped the situation with its opaqueness and less-than-sure-footed responses to the confusion.

The results from the Associated Press are stuck in a holding pattern, with 94 percent of precincts reporting – exactly where things stood Wednesday. According to the AP, Rangel’s lead remains 44 percent to 41 percent, with 1,032 votes separating the top two candidates.

Espaillat himself has yet to question the results. But the press conference by an ally moves the needle a little more, and suggests that it might be some time before all parties involved are satisfied with the final accounting.